If the Praxic Compendium continues it's long, slow development toward being a serious reference work, I'll eventually need to bring in other people on it, and I'm trying to determine what kind of overly fancy name I could give the *group.*

7yo: There's a beach down that path! Me: That's not a path, that's a place water went down the ridge; it's very steep and not so safe. 7yo: Let's go! Me: ....

Summer is now officially camping season for me and the kiddo.

Okay, so, coming off this: What CAN the average indie do, relative to each of these theories? 1/?

🍁 Levi Kornelsen@levikornelsen.bsky.social · 2d ago

A thread on "Theories about why TTRPGs are so cheap", with notes, including Oversupply (x2), Satiation, Non-Distinction, Production Purchases, Exemplar Pricing, and Confidence Pricing. Notes at end. 1/?

A thread on "Theories about why TTRPGs are so cheap", with notes, including Oversupply (x2), Satiation, Non-Distinction, Production Purchases, Exemplar Pricing, and Confidence Pricing. Notes at end. 1/?

This is masterful trolling, of the sort that "Haha Sportsball" can only gaze upon with envious eyes.

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 4d ago

The hill I will die on: Games are the opposite of fun, and I’d ban them for anyone over 12 | Emily Watkins

"Look at these losers addicted to the positive reinforcement machine. How lame. I could never become addicted to that" I write on the social media platform, secretly begging for people to give me hearts and thumbs up and tell me how smart and great I am

Disaster summoner, dice jail mechanic: You need three sets of polyhedrals (d4, d6, d8, d12, d20). Each set must be a different colour; beyond that, specific colours don't matter. These are your familiar spirits. For each, write down their die, name, element [LIST GO HERE], and humour [x4]. (+)

My 2 cents: I was somewhat successful 2020-2024 because of 1) US dollar/Brazilian real currency exchange 2) pandemic unusual e-commerce behavior I've earned a lot of money doing graphic design for other authors and publishing my own 2 games. Still, I don't believe in the TTRPG industry. 1/2

🍁 Levi Kornelsen@levikornelsen.bsky.social · 3d ago

There a moment some indie designers have, pretty early, when you go "I put in the work, I should be getting back money, that's the deal, isn't it?". Then the bottom drops out as you realize That's Not The Deal; There Is No Fucking Deal. A few understand this going in. A few seem to never get it.

There a moment some indie designers have, pretty early, when you go "I put in the work, I should be getting back money, that's the deal, isn't it?". Then the bottom drops out as you realize That's Not The Deal; There Is No Fucking Deal. A few understand this going in. A few seem to never get it.

Capricorn Iscariot@deaconblues1979.bsky.social · 3d ago

You’re not owed a career in ttrpgs. You’re just not. So you’re really just being an absolute shithead by lashing out at people who aren’t actually the problem.

I’m going to go even further and say I don’t believe anyone can make a sustainable living long term (and rarely even medium term) in the ttrpg industry. Sorry not sorry. The sooner you accept it and stop trying, the less you’ll hurt yourself in the process.

🍁 Levi Kornelsen@levikornelsen.bsky.social · 3d ago

The correct answer to "You should think about everyone else's imagined idea of the money they might according to my theory of the market when making choices about your own creative output, and thus not make free things" is "Fuck off, cop", and I'm done pulling that punch.

I have no beef at all with Nolan's Odyssey, but the truth of this post cannot rationally be argued.

@seandacey.bsky.social · 2w ago

I haven’t seen The Odyssey yet, but I know they screwed up the movie with their casting decisions. It should feature a Greek actor like Jason Mantzoukas. And a bunch of Muppets.

Has any TTRPG turned "dice jail" rituals into an actual mechanic? Like, depriving players of specific dice due to their in-game actions?

After a couple hours to cool down on this: I regret only the typo. The whole "I blame people making free things for my lack of sales" thing is venomous nonsense, and I am just fine if it burns bridges or makes people mad to say so.

🍁 Levi Kornelsen@levikornelsen.bsky.social · 3d ago

The correct answer to "You should think about everyone else's imagined idea of the money they might according to my theory of the market when making choices about your own creative output, and thus not make free things" is "Fuck off, cop", and I'm done pulling that punch.

The correct answer to "You should think about everyone else's imagined idea of the money they might according to my theory of the market when making choices about your own creative output, and thus not make free things" is "Fuck off, cop", and I'm done pulling that punch.

Having learned that the main source is a Reddit rant gone wild via Polygon, I am forced to say that while I'm not mad, I am disappointed with the depth of this critique.

🍁 Levi Kornelsen@levikornelsen.bsky.social · 3d ago

What's the source on "Vampire 6e is D&Dlike!", because... I'm curious about that reading.

What's the source on "Vampire 6e is D&Dlike!", because... I'm curious about that reading.

Something randomly reminded me to share this! lumpley.games/2019/10/21/g...

This is also true of games, and hoo boy could I have used that lesson when I first started to get kinda good at analysis.

David Sims@davidlsims.bsky.social · 4d ago

if I ever taught film criticism lesson one would be “you being smarter than the movie is not interesting to anyone”

In preparation for next round of camping, I bought a very small (300 watt) "power station" to recharge phones and such, and now I am *itching* to get a solar panel to hook up to it, despite it being totally unnecessary for this trip. The form of my fatherly gadget weirdness is revealed.

Look, I'm up for some demakes, but I want them grounded in love of the material, not nostalgia cash-grabbing, and I dunno that a big trend would get us a lot of that.

Jay Castello 🌻@jaymcastello.bsky.social · 4d ago

something horrifying has come to me in a vision

Stay safe and dry, GenCon peeps.

The airplane preaching lady is currently barred from Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air, so there's a little justice in the world.

Preflight sermon gets plane preacher kicked off Alaska Airlines flight

Florida evangelist Whitney Lynn shared clips of her removal on social media and racked up millions of views.

adn.com

Woke up hungover after winning gold at The Ennies for Best Kiss. Anyway, here’s this month’s Explorateur. Only the freshest links from July. Two really fun reviews. My new favorite podcast. And three thoughts on layout from me in the upfront. www.explorersdesign.com/explorateur-...

The Explorateur: Issue #22

Monthly jams, critique, theory, and resources for rpg designers.

explorersdesign.com

I've spent a lot of time, over the *decades,* trying (with mixed success) to be fair to D&D, curbing a lot of petty snark, all that sort of thing. But the last years, man, the corporate shit has checked me out of buying, and when I am nasty, I don't feel guilty about it afterwards anymore. (+)

*7yo enters the room* "Papa, is Mike Tyson good?" "He's not great; one time, he bit a guy's ear off in a fight." "Wow! Now I like him!"

Fun campaign starter here, "Okay, this freaky thing landed on you / was dug up in your back field, and bang there's this urge to keep it safe and secret together, right out of the lizard brain, strong enough you're not getting loose - but you can AIM it. So let's set up the debate on YOUR cult".

🍁 Levi Kornelsen@levikornelsen.bsky.social · 5d ago

How to make a horror setting, step one: The typical human reaction on coming into possession of absolute proof of the supernatural is not to spread it, but actually, to start a cult about it.

Okay, so yeah, D&D is going full content mill, which... Well, to get as close to home as possible, the Magic: The Gathering gamers mostly don't seem to love the results of that strategy, though it does make a bunch of money.

How to make a horror setting, step one: The typical human reaction on coming into possession of absolute proof of the supernatural is not to spread it, but actually, to start a cult about it.

I mean, I get the reaction, but "Character is actively trying to be a poser dirtbag loser, because he thinks that's cool, and he's from space, so it weirdly makes sense" demands precisely this hat, and no other.

Gore Vidal Sassoon@jimmyjazz1968.bsky.social · 5d ago

This is my 4th time trying to get into the Expanse and I just can’t get past this goddamn hat. You’re in space bro why do you look like a ska band bass player